1 and 1 Free Throw Probability

Question

Suppose a women’s college basketball player is fouled in a one-and-one situation (meaning she is awarded two free throws only if she makes her first one and awarded one point for each shot made).

Knowing that her season average is 65%, what is the probability that she will get one point?

???? (Round to two decimal places.)

Answer 1

The only way she can get exactly one point is if she makes the first free throw and misses the second.  The probability of this happening is 

 

(0.65)*(0.35) = 0.2275 = 22.75%

 

Note that you can also calculate the probability that she will get 0 points, which is 

 

0.35 = 35% 

 

And the probability that she will get 2 points, which is 

 

(0.65)*(0.65) = 0.4225 = 42.25%  

 

Since these are all the possible outcomes you can check that the probabilities add up to 100%